IOM will officially establish a presence in Djibouti with the
opening of an office in the country tomorrow, 13 May, and the
signing of an agreement with the government outlining areas of
cooperation on migration issues in an increasingly strategic area
linking three continents.

Djibouti's Minister of Employment Mousssa Ahmed Hassan and IOM
Regional Representative for East Africa, Ashraf El Nour, will open
the office at a ceremony attended by government officials, the US
and French ambassadors to Djibouti and senior UN officials.

Through the agreement and subject to funding, IOM in Djibouti
would work to build the capacity of the government on international
migration law and on addressing migration challenges including
human trafficking and irregular migration, assistance to displaced
and return migration. The office will also facilitate closer
contact with the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
which is headquartered in Djibouti, many of whose members are also
IOM members.

"Djibouti faces unique migration challenges simply because of
where it is. It links Europe, Africa and the Middle East but is
inherently a gateway from the Horn of Africa to the Middle East.
Djibouti is also increasingly becoming a source and transit country
for migrants moving across the Gulf of Aden and beyond with
security concerns in the region making it the preferred transit
country. IOM has a role to play in helping the government and the
region address these challenges," said El Nour.

The opening of the office with the support of the Djibouti
authorities and British government will also be accompanied by the
start of an IOM information campaign against irregular migration
and human trafficking in Djibouti. The authorities are concerned
over the issues of unaccompanied minors and the growing use of
Djibouti as a transit point for Somalis and
Ethiopians.  

The campaign is part of a broader European Commission funded
regional effort in five of the six IGAD countries (Djibouti,
Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Uganda) to ensure potential
migrants are aware of the risks involved in irregular migration by
land and sea, especially through the Gulf of Aden and the East
African migration route which stretches from the Horn of Africa to
and through Sudan and Libya and across the Mediterranean sea.

For further information, please contact:

Charles Kwenin

Tel: + 253 352459/253357280

E-mail: "mailto:ckwenin@iom.int">ckwenin@iom.int

or

Lily Sanya

Tel: + 253610224

E-mail: "mailto:lsanya@iom.int">lsanya@iom.int